Washtenaw County Property Records
Washtenaw County property records are maintained by the Register of Deeds in Ann Arbor, serving one of Michigan's most active and well-documented real estate markets. The office handles all recorded instruments for the county, from current deeds and mortgages to historical handwritten documents dating back well over a century. Washtenaw County offers both a modern online land records system called FileViewer and a separate public records portal for court-related documents. Whether you are doing a title search, researching ownership history, or looking for liens and encumbrances, the county has strong tools to help.
Washtenaw County Property Records Overview
Register of Deeds Office
The Washtenaw County Register of Deeds is located in Ann Arbor at 200 N. Main St., Suite 110. The office maintains the grantor-grantee index required by MCL 565.28 and records all real and oil/gas property instruments for the county. A separate Records Unit handles copy requests and research queries.
| Address | 200 N. Main, Suite 110, Ann Arbor, MI 48107 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (734) 222-6710 |
| Records Unit | (734) 222-3024 |
| Fax | (734) 222-6819 |
| Circuit Court | 101 E. Huron St., Room 1106, Ann Arbor, (734) 222-3270 |
| Recording Fee | $30 flat per document |
| Copy Fee (in-person or mail) | $1 per page |
| Online Copy Fee | $1.20 per page (credit card) |
| Certified Copy | $5 per document |
FileViewer Land Records System
Washtenaw County's land records are accessible online through the FileViewer system at rod.ewashtenaw.org. The system includes both historical handwritten document indexes and current electronic indexes, covering real property and oil/gas records. For documents recorded between 1915 and 1982, you search by liber and page number. From 1983 forward, you can search by instrument number, grantor name, grantee name, book and page, or by section, township, and range.
To get recorded copies in person or by mail, you need to provide the liber and page number, or the following: first party (grantor, mortgagor, or dischargor), second party (grantee, mortgagee, or discharge), document type, and approximate year. Having this information ready speeds up the process at the Records Unit.
The Washtenaw County Register of Deeds FileViewer system at rod.ewashtenaw.org provides online access to document indexes and images covering over a century of real property records in the county.
Public Records Portal and Court Records
Beyond the Register of Deeds, Washtenaw County offers a public records portal for court-related documents at washtenawcountycourt.org/public-records/. This is the right place to find records related to foreclosures, boundary disputes, and other property litigation that has gone through the court system.
The Washtenaw County public records portal provides access to court documents related to property disputes, foreclosures, and other real estate litigation that has passed through the county's court system.
Subscription access to the Register of Deeds system is available for title companies and others who need frequent searches. Weekly access costs $400, monthly access costs $1,300, and annual pricing requires contacting the office at (734) 222-6710. These subscriptions include document image access.
What Property Records Contain
Washtenaw County property records hold a broad range of information about each parcel. A thorough title search will reveal current and previous owners, chain of title going back decades, purchase prices from recorded deeds, deed types and how ownership was conveyed, legal descriptions and parcel identification numbers, tax assessments and payment history, mortgages and liens, easements and covenants, building permits, and certificates of occupancy.
This depth of information makes Washtenaw County's records particularly valuable for buyers, sellers, attorneys, title companies, and researchers. The county seat of Ann Arbor has a highly active real estate market, and property records here are well-maintained and indexed going back many years.
Records retention in Washtenaw County follows a defined schedule: deeds, mortgages, tax rolls, and zoning records are kept permanently. Property tax payment records are held for 7 years. Building permits are retained for the life of the structure plus 10 years. Foreclosure records are kept for 10 years after final disposition.
Discriminatory Covenants Project
Washtenaw County has undertaken a notable effort to identify and document discriminatory racial covenants in historic property records. Working with Justice InDeed and the University of Michigan, the county mapped covenants restricting property sales by race across more than 120 neighborhoods. Liberty Title provided access to its title plant to help researchers locate these documents.
Michigan law allows property owners to record a document repudiating discriminatory covenants, making a formal statement in the public record that such restrictions are void and unenforceable. The Washtenaw County effort is ongoing and has drawn attention from counties and communities across Michigan as a model for addressing discriminatory language in historic deeds.
If you own property in Washtenaw County and discover a discriminatory covenant in your chain of title, the Register of Deeds office can explain the process for recording a repudiation document.
Michigan Recording Law
Michigan is a race-notice state under MCL 565.29. The buyer who records a deed first without prior knowledge of a competing claim wins any title dispute. In Washtenaw County's active market, recording promptly after closing is especially important.
Document formatting must comply with MCL 565.201: 2.5-inch top margin on the first page, 0.5-inch minimum on all other margins, black ink on white paper, 10-point minimum font, one recordable event per document, and drafter name and address per MCL 565.201a. The property tax identification number must appear on the first page.
Under the Marketable Record Title Act at MCL 565.101, a 40-year chain of title generally establishes marketable title and clears older defects from the record.
Transfer Taxes and Property Assessment
Washtenaw County charges a county real estate transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price. The state adds $7.50 per $1,000. Both are collected at closing. The Ann Arbor area real estate market has seen strong appreciation over recent years, which means transfer taxes on higher-priced homes can add up significantly at closing.
Michigan property is assessed at 50% of true cash value. Under Proposal A, taxable value increases are capped at the lesser of inflation or 5% per year. When property sells, taxable value uncaps to state equalized value. In a market like Ann Arbor where sale prices often exceed assessed values by a wide margin, buyers should plan for a meaningful property tax increase in the year after purchase.
The Michigan Department of Treasury administers the Principal Residence Exemption and other programs that may reduce property taxes for Washtenaw County residents who make their property a primary home. The county equalization office handles local assessment appeals and parcel data.
Cities in Washtenaw County
Ann Arbor is the largest city in Washtenaw County and has its own city page with information specific to property records in Ann Arbor.
Nearby Counties
Washtenaw County borders six other Michigan counties. Each maintains its own Register of Deeds for local property records.